2015 Youth of the Year!

March 3rd, 2015

Youth of the Year gives us an amazing opportunity to spotlight our Club Members and hear how they are making a difference not only in the Clubs, but at school, in the community, and at home. We get the opportunity to hear from them about the Clubs are doing, and how our programming is affecting the neighborhoods and the community at large. The Youth of the Year Celebration Luncheon is our favorite event for that reason. We are able to sit down with 350 of our closest friends and listen to the stories of our Club Members. Supporters like you are crucial to our mission of building a brighter future for the children in our community, and through the gifts of all at the luncheon we were able to raise over $40,000 for the youth of Grand Rapids.

Most of our 350 attendees probably haven’t eaten a box luncheon in a gymnasium for a long time, but we wanted to bring that feeling back with our luncheon, and have everyone directly feel the Boys & Girls Clubs and what we bring to the children of Grand Rapids. We are grateful for our sponsors that were able to help bring this luncheon to life. Steelcase, Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, Genius Phone Repair, Reynolds & Sons, A1 Irrigation, and Handcrafted Systems all came on board in 2015. BarFly Events was able to provide the delicious lunch that everyone enjoyed. A huge big thank you to our committee members who worked hard for three months leading up to the event securing judges, sponsors, attendees, and donations.

This year, we wanted to make sure our three candidates also had a little fun, so we added the Hollywood-themed After Party for our Club members, Staff, Candidates, and Friends. We had 40 Club members celebrate the accomplishments of our Candidates and the new 2015 Youth of the Year Chelsea Flemings. We had dinner, a special dessert, dancing, and a performance by one of their favorite artists and former Club staff member.

Our Character and Leadership programs, like Keystone and Youth of the Year, teach kids their true strength and empowers them to transform their communities. Our Youth of the Year 2015 winner Chelsea Flemings says, “Throughout my Club experience I have seen several different characteristics and backgrounds in which many of the members come from. This makes my drive to help young people even stronger.” Our Clubs open the door to youth, like Chelsea, who are looking for a place to call their own.